July 14, 2025
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
Highs in the mid to upper 80s start the week, with rain possible. A cooling trend with highs in the 70s begins Wednesday and through the weekend, with some (varied, as always) chances for rain.
This is a great time to be in the North Woods, with no shortage of events and outdoor activities available! Enjoy!
“The current weather pattern will likely not help the Quiet Lakes’ fishing in this so far odd season,” says Greg at Happy Hooker. “Surface temperatures are 75-80 degrees, but a few species are active and predictable.
“Musky fishing is tough, with many follows, but few hook-ups. Our first musky chart for this season shows small bucktails, glide baits, and bass/walleye size crankbaits work best. Topwaters should get hot with consistent weather. Think on top or over any structure. When the water gets warm, minimize fish handling, and keep fish in the net as long as possible. Have all tools ready to unhook fish, take a quick measurement and photo, and return the fish to the water.
“Walleye anglers report picking up only a few fish on given spots, as fish tend to scatter in mid-summer. Some relate to rocks, others to weeds, and some between shallow and deep edges. Work through areas slowly with leeches and crawlers. Fish slide shallower at night to feed, and twilight offers the best chances.
“Northern pike action is solid, with anglers catching both hammer handles and 24-inch and larger pike on live bait, bucktails, spinnerbaits, and about anything else. Shallow to mid-depth weeds are the key.
“Largemouth bass are active and anglers are doing well with live and plastic worms, buzzbaits, and frogs. Shallow weeds, reeds, and lily pads are the hot spots.
“Smallmouth bass anglers report success on deep weed edges on rocky points and bars. Wacky rigs and similar presentations are excellent.
“Panfish action is decent around weed beds. For crappies, crappie minnows under floats, small Beetle Spins, and minnow baits are producing. Big bluegills are taking small inline spinners such as Rooster Tails and #3 Mepps. Perch will take all of these presentations.”
Mike at Jenk’s says the Chippewa Flowage is at level pool and the water temperature 78 degrees.
“Muskies are following various baits, but making few connections, with most in the evening on surface baits such as Hawg Wobblers and Creepers. During the day, muskies sit deeper until the surface cools, and trolling is the most effective way to target them. If surface temperatures hit 80 degrees, wait until it cools to minimize the mortality rate.
“Walleye fishing is decent in deeper brush during the day with leeches and trolled crankbaits. The evening bite is in 5-9 feet in and outside the weeds. Guide Jim Leahy says if it is windy, fish in about 5 feet in thicker weeds, rigging baits on Jack’s or Invasion Tackle weedless jigs.
“Northern pike, mostly smaller fish, are active in weeds, hitting Tinsel Tail spinners, chatterbaits, and weedless spoons. Take pike catches to a resort or Jenk’s and enter the Pike Improvement Project (PIP)!
“Largemouth bass are hitting frogs and Whopper Ploppers over weed tops, with the west side more productive than the east side.
“Smallmouth bass fishing is good with Ned rigs in wood and on rocks. If you do not find fish shallow during the day, try wacky worms and crawlers in deeper cribs.
“Crappie fishing is best on bogs in the evening with crappie minnows, one-inch Gulp! Minnows, Garland Mayflies, and Mini-Mites. Make sure to fish the entire water column under the bogs. Be pro-active to dial-in the depth where the crappies are swimming. During the day, fish deeper cribs and brush piles. Sunken brush off the northeast corner of Birch Island on the west side is a good daytime crappie spot.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses the ‘not-so-famous’ Northern Hog Sucker.
“Many anglers and fish enthusiasts are familiar with ‘suckers,’ but many do not know all the different types we have in Wisconsin. Here, I highlight one particularly interesting species: the Northern Hog Sucker.
“If you have paddled down a northern Wisconsin river and peered into the water to watch fish something I highly recommend you have probably seen a hog sucker, but perhaps only once it moved. Hog suckers are one of the best-camouflaged species of fish in Wisconsin, blending in perfectly with the scattered gravel and sand of the riverbed.
“Hog suckers do not get as big as white suckers or most species of redhorse, topping out at around 15-20 inches. They almost exclusively inhabit rivers where they eat small invertebrates off the bottom in faster-moving shallow water.
“Anglers can catch hog suckers, but not always easily. My son and I made it our mission to catch one on a small river near Hayward. We found plenty of them and presented worms to quite a few before we tempted a pair to bite. They spook easily and not willing to travel very far to take a bait.
“One of the most entertaining things about the hog sucker is its long and bizarre list of other names, such as hogmolly, riffle sucker, hammerhead sucker, hog mullet, crawl-a-bottom, stone lugger, stone toter, and pugamoo. Many of the names reflect where they spend their time on the bottom in rocky riffles and their unique boxy head.
“On your next river trip, keep an eye out for hog suckers and add them to your life list if you are lucky enough to catch one.”
Enter to win a fall fishing getaway for two with Chad Grigsby. The winner receives lodging for two at the Holiday Inn Express for Friday, September 5, including complimentary breakfast, and fishing with Chad Saturday, September 6. The winner receives 1919 Root Beer, Ranch House Coffee, and two St. Croix spinning rods with Seviin reels.
Chad will provide everything the anglers need for their day on the water! He is a two-time FLW Tour Champion, runner-up in the FLW Forest Wood Cup, and has fished tournaments full time for 22 years, with more than $1.4 million in career earnings.
Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau will accept entries through the August 1 deadline.
For more information, visit Fall Fishing Getaway.
The DNR is holding a sharp-tailed grouse season Oct. 18 through Nov. 9, the first since 2018. The permit drawing application deadline is Aug. 1, and honors preference points from prior years.
For more information, search “sharp-tailed grouse” on the DNR website.
The Birchwood Lions Club’s 62nd Annual Bluegill Festival is this Friday through Sunday, July 18-20, in Birchwood. Visit the website for the schedule of events, or email birchwoodwi@gmail.com.
The 52nd Annual LCO Honor the Earth Pow Wow is this Thursday through Sunday, July 17-20, on Round Lake School Road, just off Hwy B east of Hayward. Visit the website for a full list of events and the schedule.
For more information, call (715) 634-8934.
The Lumberjack World Championships are this Wednesday through Saturday, July 16-19, at the Historic Lumberjack Bowl. Visit the website for the individual events and schedule. This event celebrates the skills of the world’s greatest lumberjacks and lumberjills, and their speed, strength, balance, focus, and timber skills. The competition highlights the best sawing, chopping, speed climbing, log rolling, boom running, and axe throwing athletes from around the world.
For more information, visit Lumberjack World Championships or call (715) 634-2484.
ATV/UTV TRAIL REPORT
All ATV/UTV operators born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, who are at least 12 years old for ATV and at least 16 years old for UTV, must complete an ATV/UTV safety certification course to operate legally on public ATV/UTV trails and areas in Wisconsin. The DNR requires trail passes for non-residents and Wisconsin residents must display a registration sticker. Riders must run headlights at all times when operating. Visit the DNR ATV website for rules and regulations.
Check for trail openings, closures, and more at HLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report. Contacts for forest ATV/UTV trails are as follows: Sawyer County Forest (715-634-4846), Chequamegon National Forest (715-634-4821), and Flambeau State Forest (715-332-5271).
Sawyer County snowmobile and ATV trail maps are available from Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau.
FISHING REPORT
Despite disruptive weather patterns, fishing is fair to good for most species though some are downright belligerent! Bait shop personnel want you to catch fish, so talk with them for the current specifics before hitting the water. Knowing when, where, and with what to fish greatly improves success.
Musky:
Muskies are not cooperative, offering many follows, but few commitments. During the day, fish deeper with smaller bucktails, crankbaits, and gliders. If temperatures are 80+ degrees, give the fish a break, casting topwaters in the cooler evening hours into dark.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is fair, with fish on shallow to deep rocks, weed edges, and brush. During evening into dark, work shallow weedlines and weed edges. Use leeches and crawlers on jigs and/or under slip bobbers, and troll crankbaits and stickbaits.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action is good to very good. Target shallow to mid-depth weeds, weedlines, weed edges, and panfish concentrations with northern suckers, bucktails, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, and chatterbaits.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing is good on shallow weeds, weed edges, reeds, lily pads, brush, and near concentrations of panfish. Minnows, crawlers, plastics, buzzbaits, crankbaits, minnowbaits, and topwaters work well.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is good on deep cribs, rock, wood, and the edges of weedy rock bars and points. Sucker minnows, Ned rigs, crawlers, wacky worms, and similar offerings all produce.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good near shallow to mid-depth weeds, cribs, brush, and bogs in the evening hours. Use crappie minnows, one-inch Gulp! Minnows, Garland Mayflies, Mini-Mites on small jigs, and Beetle Spins and minnow baits.
Bluegill/Perch:
Bluegill fishing is good around shallow to mid-depth weeds, weed edges, and brush. Waxies, worms, crawler chunks, and minnows on small jigs and teardrop under floats, and small Rooster Tails and Mepps work for both species.
July 16-19: Lumberjack World Championships schedule (715-634-2484).
July 17-20: 52nd Annual LCO Honor the Earth Pow Wow (715-634-8934).
July 18-20: Birchwood Lions 62nd Annual Bluegill Festival (birchwoodwi@gmail.com).
July 26: Barnes Area Historical Association Summer Festival, noon-4 p.m. (425-318-0851).
July 28-30: Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower, 1-3 a.m., south, 15-25 per hour, long, slow paths.
Aug. 1: Entry deadline for fall fishing getaway for two with Chad Grigsby (715-634-4801).
Aug. 1: Application deadline for sharp-tailed grouse permit drawing.
Aug. 1-2: Jack Pine Savage Days in Spooner (715-635-2168).
Aug. 3: Hayward Chapter-Muskies, Inc. Annual Kids Fishing Day, Weber’s, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (715-634-4543).
Aug. 9: Full Sturgeon Moon.
Aug. 9: Annual Ojibwa Canoe & Kayak Race at Wannigan Resort 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (715-415-6539).
Aug. 11-13: Perseids Meteor Shower 1-3 a.m., northeast, 45-90 per hour, very swift, rich display.
Aug. 14-17: Sawyer County Fair at Sawyer County Fairgrounds on Highway B (715-699-2022).
Aug. 17: HBC Free Youth Bass Tourney, Chippewa Flowage, The Landing Resort, Noon-4 p.m. (405-227-1789).
Aug. 23: Seeley Lions PreFat Bike Race 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 24: HBC Tom Turner Open Benefit Tourney on Tiger Cat Flowage, Weber’s, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (405-227-1789).
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau and Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce websites, view the Calendar of Events, or call (715) 634-8662 or (715) 634-4801.
